Braden ' Power of 3'

PART SEVEN

  PROLOGUE

  TULOOSA'S UNDERGROUND WORLD

  SATURDAY 13/3

  Whilst Tuloosa sat upon his throne deep within the catacombs under the ancient city, evil anthropomorphic creatures stirred, awakening after centuries of enforced sleep, summonsed by the Incubus who was the custodian of the Undead. The cacophonous rumbling of their massive stone coffins opening alerted the Limitic creatures dwelling in the stagnant waters of the underground canal where the Undead were entombed.

  The Limitics were creatures of still waters, their elongated green scabrous bodies exuded slime as they slithered, capturing unsuspecting prey in their sticky trial. These primogenitors had existed here guarding the Undead for centuries patiently waiting the time of their resurrection.

  Slowly now they slithered into the stone coffins secreting their green slimy waste into the mouths of the Undead, giving them the elixir of life.

  One by one the 'Undead' rose, shaking centuries of dust from their hairy anthropoid bodies awaiting instruction from the Incubus who stood nearby.

  These wretched creatures once human had been the experimentation of the alien sorcerer Sissnaska. Among their countless numbers were the missing shipwrecked fishermen who'd been betrayed by William Braden's father, Doctor Jonathan Braden, in his thirst for power and riches.

  Now ruled by Tulossa who held power over all that dwelt deep within the catacombs of his kingdom, the Undead silently obeyed his Incubus.

  Silently the Limitics slithered beside the 'Undead' as they dragged their hairy-clawed feet through the underground catacombs, their luminous bodies the only light in the dreary darkness.

  On the Incubus walked leading the Undead to where Tulloosa's slaves, the beastly Basliks dwelt. Alerted by the Incubus of the intruders now in their midst, the heinous Basliks unleashed their claws in readiness and crept through the honeycomb of tunnels searching for their prey.

  Further into the depths of the catacombs the black shrouded Incubus ventured commanding the Undead to follow his solemn path. On and on they dragged their lifeless bodies leaving the foul stench of death lingering in their wake.

  Closer now the Undead came, moaning as their bodies adjusted to the long years of their enforced sleep. The Limitics protectively slithered beside them, illuminating the way ahead with their glowing reptilian bodies. Growing in numbers as the call to their master spread, the Limitics now filled the myriad of tunnels interlocking the many catacombs of Tuloosa's underground world.

  The tunnels now lit with the Limitics eerie green glow, the Basliks were finding it easy to hunt their unsuspecting prey. Their wide fleshy nostrils flared as they smelt the scent of the four friends, their antenna like tentacles flexing on their hairy heads guided them as their beady eyes scanned the tunnels ahead.

  Closer they came and the Basliks slobbering mouths drooling with anticipation, made ready their razor sharp claws. The air was charged with the excitement of the hunt, every one desperate to win the favor of their master Tuloosa who now sat waiting upon his throne in his royal chamber directly below the Ancient City where his subjects were obeying his call to arms.

  TULOOSA

  Tuloosa ensconced on his throne in his royal chamber with his favourite son Isa by his side watched the gathering of the rivaling factions of his subjects. These creatures who'd evolved over the centuries from those failed early humanoid experiments of William Braden's; now juggled viciously for position in order to be chosen by Tuloosa to participate in the 'Test of Piety' about to commence.

  Tuloosa ignored the throng before him he was more concerned with the attention his youngest son Isa was giving to his love, Kenty, as she sat down beside him. Hissing with displeasure Tuloosa watched his beloved son tenderly hold her wrinkled pocked hand. The adoring look on his face as he gazed into her black mutant eyes and brushed away a lock of her long white hair from her small twisted face disturbed Tuloosa and he ordered Isa to remove her from the chamber.

  Reluctantly Isa obeyed his father knowing that he sought to separate him from his love Kenty forever. The thought of leaving Kenty behind as ordered by his father when he entered the outside world brought tears to his deepset brown eyes and Kenty rushed to kiss them away. Stubbornly she refused to leave and stood firmly beside Isa ignoring Tuloosa's anger. Her love for Isa had made her unafraid and she was determined that nothing would separate them.

  Tuloosa was at a loss at how to deal with the love these teenagers shared. However he was determined that his tall dark haired athletic son who bore the striking looks of Tuloosa's human mother Isobelle de Witt would not mate with one whose mutated alien and human genes had made her ugly beyond belief. He was relying heavily on Swasie's promise to ensure his sons safe journey into the outside world to separate these two forever.

  Dismissively he turned his back on the teenagers paying attention now to the assembly of his subjects before him. The 'Test of Piety' was about to begin and all were clamoring to be chosen.

  Saliva dribbled down Tuloosa's stained fanged teeth in expectation of the carnage that the deathly battles to be fought would bring. Disdainfully he passed over the mutant factions choosing instead the strong muscular humanoids that he himself had bred. They like him possessed the ability to change at will and could successfully assimilate into the human population.

  The chosen gladiators bowed obediently before him taking up their positions of battle and awaited his command.

  Sinking further into his regal throne made from the many bones of the Basliks victims Tuloosa held tightly the 'Scribe of Unity' in his leathery hands. His huge hairy shoulders heavy with the weight of his decision drooped under his royal gown. Deep in thought his ugly humanlike face contorted with distaste at the memory of his old adversaries as the rumbling of the walls that had sealed of their entry to the catacombs resounded throughout his royal chamber.

  Soon they would all be opened and the members of the 'Secret Society of Crines' led by the thirteen 'Ancients' now known as the Crines, would enter his world for the celebration of Unity.

  Hissing with hatred his forked tongue spat the acidic waste of his repast upon the barren dirt floor, liquefying the minute scaly creatures that crawled upon it. The dim light from the flickering wicker torches by his side did nothing to soften the sinister smile on his thin leathery lips.

  Tuloosa had paid heavily for William Braden's disappointment in having a weak sickly son whom he despaired would never survive to carry on the empire he'd created. And as he bred Sissnaska's super race he became obsessed with thoughts of creating a son with powers that would surpass all.

  Given permission from the thirteen 'Ancients' who now are the High Priests of the 'Secret Society of Crines' to breed a humanoid son, William Braden colluded with the ambitious 'Ancient' Sorius who provided him with the illicit DNA of their ruler Sissnaska. Using the knowledge he'd gained from the breeding of Sissnaska's super race William Braden created from the illicit DNA of Sissnaska and that of his wife Isobelle de Witt, Tuloosa,

  Born a monster, half human half alien with the inherit powers of Sissnaska, Tuloosa was raised in the catacombs of the underground world of mutants believing that he was William Braden's son rejected by his mother and kept from his brother James because of his hideous deformities.

  As he grew he began to resent his father leaving him each night to return to the family he so longed to be part of. Heart broken he would stare through the cracks in the padlocked door that kept him from them hoping that he would catch a glimpse of the mother he yearned for.

  Then one night the unthinkable happened; the basement door opened and there stood his mother, a picture of beauty.

  Her horrified screams would forever be imprinted in his memory.

  After that night no longer could he stare through the cracks in the old wooden door it was replaced by an impenetrable door controlled by a time- lock

  Forced to live out his life in a dark underground world Tuloosa tried many times to unlock the combination of the time locks on the
numerous doors now installed to prevent his entry to William Braden's mansion and the outer world.

  Finally resigning himself to his fate Tuloosa took a local girl named Lena who'd been captured from the village to be his bride. Sadly she like his mother, had been repulsed by him and Tuloosa once more suffered the pain of rejection

  Unwillingly Lena bore Tuloosa many sons and daughters all of whom she despised. However Tuloosa doted on his children and they worked alongside him and the thirteen 'Ancients' breeding the army of humanoids set to destroy humankind.

  Then one morning he woke to find William Braden gone along with the new species of Sissnaska's super race that he'd helped prefect.

  Immediately Sorius ceased the opportunity to rid himself of the threat Tuloosa posed. He'd witnessed Tuloosa's emerging powers and feared that his fellow 'Ancients' would no longer believe that Tuloosa's powers were that of a lowly humanoid.

  Claiming that Tuloosa had conspired with William Braden to create this new species for the sole purpose of deploying them against Sissnaska he convinced his fellow 'Ancients' that both William Braden and Tulooosa be put to death.

  Tuloosa overheard and filled with rage swore revenge on all who had rejected and betrayed him. Using his newfound powers he disengaged the time locks on the doors that had held him prisoner and entered the Braden mansion.

  Here he unmercifully slaughtered his mother and with her decapitated head under his arm returned to his underground world and slit his wife Lena's throat. Dragging her corpse in a bloody trial behind him he threw it and his mother's decapitated head before Sorius bragging the doors that had imprisoned him would no longer.

  Bellowing with rage he fled to the depths of his underground world.

  Using his newfound powers of invisibility he watched with glee the fruitless search for him that ensued. Cunningly he waited till nightfall when he knew the 'Ancients' returned to their mansion by Braden's harbour. Using his powers he changed the combinations on the time locks and sealed off all entry to the catacombs preventing their return to the laboratories where they conducted Sissnaska's breeding programs.

  However he was soon to learn that there was no escape through those doors he now held the combination to. Sorius had cast a spell imprisoning him forever in the underground world of mutants.

  Thus the wars began.

  For centuries Tuloosa alone and bitter knew nothing further of love until a young woman taken from a group of curious teenagers roaming the Braden estate by his slaves, the Basliks, entered his world.

  Something had drawn him to her and for the first time in his life Tuloosa experienced love and acceptance in the eyes of a human. From their union his last son Isa was born, sadly his beloved Clara died giving birth to their son.

  Ironically Isa had been born in Tuloosa's mother's likeness and appeared to be wholly human. And as the years passed he saw through his youngest son his own mother's goodness; forcing him to recognize a part of himself that he had long denied.

  Isa unlike any of his other children didn't appear to share the inherit transmutation of vampirism that his siblings had. He seemed to have escaped the gene that centuries of inbreeding had indiscriminately changed Tuloosa's descendants, which now characterized Isa's sibling's penchant for blood

  Isa had fast become Tuloosa's favourite and he feared for his survival amongst his ambitious siblings. Tuloosa suspected that Isa now nearing his seventeenth birthday was not immortal like his other children, and despaired that at any time his life could be ended.

  Tuloosa hoped that Isa would choose the way of humans and shun his alien birthright that had only brought himself pain and sorrow. This, more than the desire for his own freedom had influenced Tularosa's acceptance of the 'Scribe of Unity'; his son's safe passage into the outside world as promised by Swasie, had been the catalyst for his decision.

  Strangely his pledge to honor the ways of his alien father by accepting the 'Scribe of Unity' had made him experience the unfamiliar pangs of betrayal. And for the first time in many years he allowed himself to think of William Braden, his human creator. By choosing freedom he would be forever rejecting the only father he'd known and subjugating himself to the one whose alien genes had given him this monstrous body.

  He'd long forgiven William Braden for his deceit; he'd always known that William Braden had desired a son with supernatural powers. And because of his immortality he'd long suspected that his powers had come from the alien blood of the thirteen 'Ancients'. But never in his wildest dreams had he thought that his alien father was their ruler Sissnaska the most powerful sorcerer in the known Universe.

  Now through his allegiance with Swasie he knew the truth of his origins and his real enemy...Sorius.

  The thought of uniting with Sorius who still sought to destroy him filled him with rage and he wouldn't rest until he saw him dead. However Tuloosa knew he would have to tread carefully. Swasie had warned him that the descendants of his half brother James Braden the founder of the 'Secret Society of Crines' loyal to Sorius, had pledged to take vengeance for his murder of their ancestor, his mother, Isobelle De Witt Braden.

  With heavy heart Tuloosa sighed and lifted his hairy head crowned with the metallic symbol of twisted snakes as the royal trumpets rang out heralding the opening of the last of the stone walls that for centuries had sealed off the catacombs from his enemies.

  Raising his bejeweled robed arm he signaled the Basliks to bring before him the young intruders who had entered his world. Oddly though, this time he felt no pleasure in their fate and rubbed his hands in distaste not anticipation.

  Try as he might, Tuloosa couldn't rid himself of the conviction that among them there was one he should protect.